Rotary internal combustion engine

ABSTRACT

A rotary internal combustion engine includes an outer rotor or &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;cylinder,&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; and a smaller inner rotor or &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;piston&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; having an axis which is offset with respect to the axis of the outer rotor. The inner rotor is provided with a plurality of vanes extending through slots thereof and making sliding contact with the inside wall of the outer rotor as the rotors rotate at different speeds. The vanes, which define combustion areas or chambers therebetween, are pivoted about an axis coaxial with the axis of the outer rotor. As the vanes rotate they expose inlet and exhaust ports as well as spark plugs carried by the outer rotor.

United States Patent 1191 Balsbaugh June 3, 1975 [54] ROTARY INTERNA COMBUSTION 3,529,909 9/1970 Klover 418/173 X 3,723,033 3/1973 Tauscher 418/173 ENGINE [76] Inventor: Vernon L. Balsbaugh, Rt. 2, Box 68, Primary Examiner clarence R. Gordon Dallas Oreg- 97338 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Klarquist, Sparkman, [22] Filed: June 11, 1973 Campbell, Leigh, Hall & Whinston [21] Appl. No.: 369,089 [57] ABSTRACT Related US. Application Data A rotary internal combustion engine includes an outer [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 155,773, June 23, rotor of Cylinder, and a Smaller inner rotor or p 1971 abandoned, ton having an axis which is offset with respect to the axis of the outer rotor. The inner rotor is provided 52 US. (:1 123/845; 123/43 R; 418/173 with a plurality of vanes extending through slots 51 1m. (:1. F02b 55/14 thereof and making sliding Contact with the inside wall [58] Field of Search..... 123/43 R, 43 A, 43 B, 8.45; of the outer rotor as the rotors rotate at different 413/173 speeds. The vanes, which define combustion areas or chambers therebetween, are pivoted about an axis co- [56] References Cit d axial with the axis of the outer rotor. As the vanes ro- UNITED STATES PATENTS tate they expose inlet and exhaust ports as well as 1,372,750 3/1921 Hejhal 123/43 Spark plugs earned by the outer rotor' 3,205,875 9/1965 Praxmarer 418/173 x 12 C a 8 Drawing Figures diifi a I o o Y 42 88 50 ,l G I ll J, I Y s1 a Q32 PATENTEBJHHS I975 SHEET VERNON L.. BALSBAUGH INVENTOR.

ATT'Y PATENTEflJuaa 1975 SHEET VERNON L. BALSBAUG H INVENTOR. W

PATEr nmm VERNON L. BA LSBAUGH SHEET VE R N O N L. BALSBAUGH ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of my application entitled Rotary Internal Combustion Engine," Ser. No. 155,773 filed June 23, 1971, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a rotary internal combustion engine and particularly to such an engine having the operational characteristics of a four-cycle engine, comprising outer and inner rotors operable respectively as a rotating cylinder and a rotating piston having separate axes of rotation.

Rotary internal combustion engines have been proposed which employ a plurality of vanes for separating combustion areas or chambers between outer and inner rotors. The vanes extend outwardly from the inner rotor and contact the inside wall of the outer rotor. Difficulty is experienced in maintaining the proper contact, and spring loading is employed for moving the vanes inwardly and outwardly toward the inside wall of the outer rotor from an eccentrically located inner rotor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, an internal combustion engine comprises a pair of rotors, and means for interconnecting said rotors for rotation at different speeds. Dividing means disposed between the rotors form successive chambers therebetween for accommodating combustion, exhaust, intake and compression functions. In accordance with an illustrated embodiment, the dividing means comprise vanes which pivot on an axis substantially differing from the axis of the inner rotor and coincident with the axis of the outer rotor, whereby the ends of the vanes are easily maintained in contact with the walls of the outer rotor.

The objects of the invention are:

To provide an improved rotary internal combuation engine;

To provide an improved rotary internal combustion engine including vanes establishing improved contact with the engines outer rotor;

To provide an improved rotary engine comprising a minimum number of parts involving a fixed base, a main or outer rotor journaled in opposing bearings carried by the base and an inner rotor concealed within the main rotor, the rotors being operable about offset axes of rotation;

To provide an improved engine of the character described wherein one rotor is driven in rotation progressively with respect to the other; and

To provide an improved engine of the character described wherein ignition means is provided to generate power impulses progressively to rotate the rotors.

The subject matter which I regard as my invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with further advantages and objects thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like elements.

DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an engine made in accordance with my invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view taken approximately along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a right end elevational view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional side elevational view taken approximately along the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view on a slightly larger scale of the engine with fragments broken away and parts in section for convenience of illustration;

FIG. 6 is a composite diagrammatic view illustrating the inner and outer rotors of the engine identified sequentially by reference characters A through K and illustrating their various functions relative to each other and to intake and exhaust ports.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of intake and exhaust ports taken approximately along the line 7-7 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 8 is an exemplary view illustrating relative movement between the inner and outer rotors whereby the power of combustion provides a differential pressure against the outer peripheral surface of one segment of the inner rotor and the corresponding inner peripheral surface of the outer rotor between the leading and trailing vanes of that segment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION With continuing reference to the drawings wherein like reference numerals and characters designate like parts, a base of box-like structure, indicated generally at 1, has side walls 2-3, front and rear walls 4 andS, and a bottom wall 6. The walls 2 and 3 have'openings 8 therethrough which ventilate interior of the box and provide convenient handgrips for lifting or moving the engine. Columns 9 and 10 secured in any suitable manner to the opposing front and rear walls 4 and 5 provide bearing blocks for the rotary components of the engine, wherein the top end of column 9 supports a ball or roller bearing 11 whose outer race 15 is secured in any suitable manner as at 16 within the bearing block provided by column 9. The opposite column 10 carried by the box wall 5 extends inwardly as at 20 to provide a stationary shaft for the hub 21 of a rotary unit indicated generally at 22 and sometimes hereinafter referred to as the outer rotor or cylinder. Unit 22 is rotatable about shaft 20 by means of radial thrust bearings 23 and 24. It will be noted that hub 21 contains three manifolds. 25, 25A and 25B, employed as hereinafter more fully described. Shaft 20 has a rearward cross section which is round in the middle with upper and lower extensions, being shaped to provide communication with exhaust and intake chambers 75 and 76 as illustrated in FIG. 7.

Flange portion 26 of the rotary unit 22 carries spark plug 27A, the electrodes of which terminate within a cavity or combustion chamber partially illustrated at 28 and formed in one side wall of a central rotor portion 29, the latter having cooling fins 30 therearound. The other side of rotor portion 29 is flanged as at 31 and provided with a central opening 32. Two other spark plugs 27B-27C are positioned for communication with respective combustion chambers 28A-28B, respectively (not shown).

The shaft 13 as best shown in FIG. 4 is journaled in the bearing 11 and a similar bearing 34, with the inner end of the shaft 13 cast integral with one rotor half 35 bolted as at 36 to a companion rotor half 37 of the inner rotor or piston, and in particular through a typical inner rotor segment 40 as illustrated in the FIG. 2 cross section.

For convenience in further describing the invention, segments of the inner rotor (35, 37) are indicated at 40, 41, 42, 43 and 44, these segments being rotatable as a unit, about the center line established by the shaft 13 and bearing 13A carrying rotor half 37.

A plurality of identical blades or vanes 50, 51, 52, 53 and 54 are supported by and rotatable about a shaft 55, offset from the center axis of shaft 13 of the inner rotor 35, 37, but concentric with the axis of the outer rotor 22. Each vane is coextensive with the width of the inside walls of the annular cylinder as indicated at 56 and each is provided with an arm or a portion reduced in thickness and bifurcated as at 57 at its inner end for swingable or pivotal attachment to the shaft 55.

The peripheral surface of each vane 51-54 is slotted as at 58 to accommodate a seal comprising a strip of spring steel 58A formed in alternate convolutions and a strip 59 of any other suitable sealing material for wiping contact with the peripheral wall of the cylinder.

The vanes are located in radially opening slots or openings 65 in the inner rotor (35, 37) and have seals 66 pressing against the two flat sides to help retain the compression and combustion forces within their respective chambers, being aided by compression gases admitted to the back side of the seal through openings 67 in rotor 35, 37.

Operation of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 6 wherein steps in the cycle of operation are identified sequentially by diagrams A through K, in which the various segments 40, 41, 42, 43 and 44 are identified, the spark plugs are indicated at 27A, 27B and 27C, intake is identified by arrows indicating inflow, and exhaust is identified by arrows indicating outflow. The operation of the invention can be observed by considering the sequential steps in diagrams A through K, starting with A and tracing operation through to K, noting that each rotor segment undergoes a corresponding sequence.

For example, let it be assumed that segment 40 in diagram A (FIG. 6) is moving over top dead center, i.e., the center of the segment is in line with the two pivot points of shafts 13 and 55 of the rotors. As the inner rotor moves or progresses off center a few degrees clockwise to the firing position indicated at X, burning fuel charges a differential pressure against the outer surface of segment 40 and against the inner peripheral surface of the outer rotor 22, contained between the leading and trailing vanes on either side of segment 40. This pressure is transferred through axes of shafts l3 and 55 causing further movement as illustrated in FIG. 8. As the inner rotor and outer rotor are radially displaced, rotating action of both rotors is effected. This starts a progression of the power driven turning moment and rotation of the engine to provide power. The combustion stroke continues as shown in diagrams B and C.

The rotational sequence of the inner rotor 35, 37 and the outer rotor 22 is controlled by an external gear 70 shown in FIG. connected to the inner rotor 35, 37 through shaft 13 and in mesh with a larger diameter internal gear 71 forming part of the outer rotor 22, causing the inner rotor 35, 37 to rotate slightly faster than the outer rotor 22. The tangential component of speed of the rotors is the same at the top of the rotors. i.e., proximate where gears and 71 mesh.

In diagram C of FIG. 6, segment 40 has moved ahead with the leading vane passing over the valve port 73A opening the port to the power chamber 74, starting the exhaust stroke further shown in diagrams D and E. Meanwhile. the top end of the manifold 258 (FIG. 7) is opening into an exhaust chamber 75 (FIG. 7) positioned in one half of the circumference of the column 10 and shaft 20. At diagrams F. segment 40 is passing from the exhaust stroke to the intake stroke coindidentally with the manifold 258 (FIG. 7) being blocked as it passes the solid divider provided by the shaft 20 but opening into the intake chamber 76 as the rotation is continued through the sequence shown in diagrams G and H. A gas-air mixture is suitably provided to intake chamber 76 by means not shown.

In diagram I, the trailing vane of segment 40 is passing over the valve port 73A finishing the intake stroke and sealing the power chamber of segment 40 for the compression stroke shown in I and I and ending at K. This completes the four cycles of segment 40, duplicated by each of the other four identical segments, providing three overlapping power strokes for each revolution or six power strokes in the complete four cycles. As segment 40 begins the next four cycles, it is being fired by spark plug 27C and will turn four more revolutions before it again lines up with spark plug 27A.

In all the sequences illustrated in FIG. 6, the straight vertical cross-hatching indicates a power stroke for that particular segment and the round cross-hatching indicates a compression stroke for a segment. The valve ports 73 and manifold 25 are common to both intake and exhaust to the point of their junction with the upper and lower extensions of the shaft 20 cross section.

In FIG. 7, reference numerals -87 indicate a spring contact point, a support, and ignition wire, the respective spark plugs making contact at point 85.

The cylinder and piston rotors thus rotate at different speeds, with their rotation being synchronized by gears to produce substantially three power strokes for each revolution of output shaft 13. The piston is divided into segments separated by the vanes to define combustion areas. The wear on the seals is minimal since the piston makes only one revolution within the cylinder for every six revolutions the cylinder and piston make together, i.e., during each rotation of the cylinder, the piston segments move 60 degrees in relation to the cylinder. The valve area is separate from the combustion area, eliminating the use of valves as such, with valve ports being progressively exposed as the vanes of the rotor pass over them. Each vane is held against the cylinder wall in wiping contact therewith by the pressure of the other four vanes, the vane pivot being coaxial with the axis of the cylinder, thus eliminating the need of compression springs or reliance upon centrifugal force to keep them in working contact with the cylinder walls. The three spark plugs are located at about the cylinder and are fired by a contact spring when the spark plug reaches the top dead center (or a few degrees past) of cylinder rotation, whereby each plug is tired once in each revolution. Through any one revolution, a given segment of the piston will communicate with a valve port and throughout the next revolution it will communicate with a spark plug.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from my invention in its broader aspects. I therefore intend the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. An internal combustion engine comprising:

a pair of rotors and means for interconnecting said rotors for rotation at different speeds for progressive relative rotation,

and dividing means between said two rotors to form therebetween combustion, exhaust, intake and compression chambers as the two rotors rotate and one progresses with respect to the other,

wherein said dividing means extend from one rotor in slidable contact with the other rotor as one of said rotors progresses with respect to the other, the axes of said rotors being offset.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein one of said rotors is located within the other, with said dividing means comprising vanes extending through radially opening slots in the inner of said rotors.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said vanes are rotatable about an axis substantially coincident with the axis of rotation of the outer of said rotors.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein one of said rotors is provided with peripherally spaced apart ignition means for communicating with said differing of said chambers as said rotors rotate.

5. An internal combustion engine comprising:

a base,

a hollow cylinder outer rotor rotatable with respect to said base about a first axis and having ports for intake and exhaust,

an inner rotor smaller in diameter than the inside diameter of the outer rotor, said inner rotor being positioned within the outer rotor and rotatable about a second axis offset from the first axis,

said inner rotor further comprising a plurality of spaced apart vanes rotatable about the first axis for defining inner rotor segments, said vanes extending to the outer rotor,

and a synchronized connection between the rotors comprising inner and outer gears of different diameters connected to the inner and outer rotors respectively and having a limited arcuate meshing relation for establishing unlike speeds of rotation, said inner rotor rotating incrementally and progressively with respect to the outer rotor for causing transition of segments to respective engine functions brought about by progression of segments with respect to the outer rotor, said rotors turning with respect to one another about the meshingregion of said gears.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said outer rotor is provided with peripherally spaced apart ignition means for communicating progressively with chambers defined between said inner rotor segments and said vanes, said ignition means and ones of said ports communicating with differing chambers with relative rotation of said rotors.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said inner rotor is provided with spaced apart radially opening slots through which said vanes extend.

said vanes extending through said slots between said segments and into sealed sliding contact with the interior of said outer rotor.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said engine is further provided with intake and exhaust chambers, and means in said outer rotor for coupling said ports to said intake and exhaust chambers alternately as said outer rotor rotates.

9. An internal combustion engine comprising:

an inner piston member and an outer cylinder member,

wherein said piston member is located within said cylinder member,

means journaling said piston member for relative rotation with respect to said cylinder member about an axis parallel to but offset from the axis of said cylinder member,

said piston member being provided with a plurality of vanes extending outwardly therefrom into sliding contact with said cylinder member to define plural chambers therebetween, said vanes being rotatable about an axis substantially coincident with the axis of said cylinder member,

and valve and ignition means for successively communicating with said chambers for providing fuel intake, ignition, and exhaust relative to said chambers, said ignition being provided in a chamber defined by a relatively close proximity between lateral surfaces of said piston member and said cylinder member.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said piston member is provided with radially opening slots through which said vanes extend.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9 including a central shaft coaxial with said cylinder member to which said vanes are pivotally connected.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said valve and ignition means are rotatable generally about the cylinder member axis.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 3,886,909 DATED .1 June 3, 1975 INVENTOR(S) Vernon L. Balsbaugh It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and thatsaid Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below: 0

Column 1, line 41, "combuation" should be combustion-.

Column 4, line 12, "ooindidentally" should be -coincidentally-.

Column 5, line 34, "cylinder" should be -cylindrical-. U

Signed and Sealed this twenty-fifth Day of, November 1975 [SEAL] Arrest:

RUTH vC. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN a Ar esting Office! Commissioner uj'Pater rts and Trademarks I 

1. An internal combustion engine comprising: a pair of rotors and means for interconnecting said rotors for rotation at different speeds for progressive relative rotation, and dividing means between said two rotors to form therebetween combustion, exhaust, intake and compression chambers as the two rotors rotate and one progresses with respect to the other, wherein said dividing means extend from one rotor in slidable contact with the other rotor as one of said rotors progresses with respect to the other, the axes of said rotors being offset.
 1. An internal combustion engine comprising: a pair of rotors and means for interconnecting said rotors for rotation at different speeds for progressive relative rotation, and dividing means between said two rotors to form therebetween combustion, exhaust, intake and compression chambers as the two rotors rotate and one progresses with respect to the other, wherein said dividing means extend from one rotor in slidable contact with the other rotor as one of said rotors progresses with respect to the other, the axes of said rotors being offset.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein one of said rotors is located within the other, with said dividing means comprising vanes extending through radially opening slots in the inner of said rotors.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said vanes are rotatable about an axis substantially coincident with the axis of rotation of the outer of said rotors.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein one of said rotors is provided with peripherallY spaced apart ignition means for communicating with said differing of said chambers as said rotors rotate.
 5. An internal combustion engine comprising: a base, a hollow cylinder outer rotor rotatable with respect to said base about a first axis and having ports for intake and exhaust, an inner rotor smaller in diameter than the inside diameter of the outer rotor, said inner rotor being positioned within the outer rotor and rotatable about a second axis offset from the first axis, said inner rotor further comprising a plurality of spaced apart vanes rotatable about the first axis for defining inner rotor segments, said vanes extending to the outer rotor, and a synchronized connection between the rotors comprising inner and outer gears of different diameters connected to the inner and outer rotors respectively and having a limited arcuate meshing relation for establishing unlike speeds of rotation, said inner rotor rotating incrementally and progressively with respect to the outer rotor for causing transition of segments to respective engine functions brought about by progression of segments with respect to the outer rotor, said rotors turning with respect to one another about the meshing region of said gears.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said outer rotor is provided with peripherally spaced apart ignition means for communicating progressively with chambers defined between said inner rotor segments and said vanes, said ignition means and ones of said ports communicating with differing chambers with relative rotation of said rotors.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said inner rotor is provided with spaced apart radially opening slots through which said vanes extend, said vanes extending through said slots between said segments and into sealed sliding contact with the interior of said outer rotor.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said engine is further provided with intake and exhaust chambers, and means in said outer rotor for coupling said ports to said intake and exhaust chambers alternately as said outer rotor rotates.
 9. An internal combustion engine comprising: an inner piston member and an outer cylinder member, wherein said piston member is located within said cylinder member, means journaling said piston member for relative rotation with respect to said cylinder member about an axis parallel to but offset from the axis of said cylinder member, said piston member being provided with a plurality of vanes extending outwardly therefrom into sliding contact with said cylinder member to define plural chambers therebetween, said vanes being rotatable about an axis substantially coincident with the axis of said cylinder member, and valve and ignition means for successively communicating with said chambers for providing fuel intake, ignition, and exhaust relative to said chambers, said ignition being provided in a chamber defined by a relatively close proximity between lateral surfaces of said piston member and said cylinder member.
 10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said piston member is provided with radially opening slots through which said vanes extend.
 11. The apparatus according to claim 9 including a central shaft coaxial with said cylinder member to which said vanes are pivotally connected. 